Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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The Enigma of the Florida Key Deer. The diminutive Florida Key Deer lives only on small, low-lying islands. Because of habitat loss and human population expansion, The deer were down to a very low population number. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act legislation, The population of Key Deer dramatically increased. But now, with the climate crisis, sea levels are rising-- No legislation will be able to change this trend in time; The deers' living range will completely disappear under the sea. The Enigma is such: Are the deer to be moved and allowed Inbreeding with mainland populations, their genetics lost forever? Or moved to other isolated environments with no certain results? Or allowed just to drown and be done with under the rising sea? Compare the Key Deer's island fate to that of the Pika, Living in high mountain ranges with no further 'up' to go. The Enigma reaches so many, many of our fellow earth-inhabitants. Remember--humans are and will also be continual and vulnerable climate-nomads! Frank Maurer 10 September 2023 1750 Hours.